JP2002183000A - Data reference method and system via network - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a data reference method in which the Internet and a storage network are used in combination, and both networks are selectively used depending on data. A computer 107 is connected to the Internet 101.
Connect with The computer 104 connects to the Internet 101 and the SAN 111. Also, the disk storage device 11
0 is connected to the computer 107 and the SAN 111. The browser 105 requests data reference to the Web server 108 via the Internet 101. Web server 10
8 is the browser 10 when the data address cannot be interpreted.
Return an error to 5. Browser 105 is Web server 1
06, the data reference is requested. Web server 106
Obtains a copy of the YYY document 203 on the disk storage device 110 via the SAN 111 and passes it to the browser 105.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data reference method via a network, and more particularly, to a method for accessing the Internet and an S.
The present invention relates to a data reference method using a storage device-computer network such as an AN together.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, it is very common to refer to a homepage via the Internet or an intranet or to download a document or a program file. The homepage is html (hyper text
markup language) file, and when a Web browser requests a Web server to transfer a page, the html file held by the Web server is transferred to the Web browser, and the Web browser
Displays the contents of the page on the browser according to the contents of the html file. You can also download documents and program files.
These files are transferred by requesting the server to transfer the files. The protocol at this time is http (h
yper texttransfer protocol) or ftp (file trans
fer protocol).

On the other hand, there is known a technique in which a plurality of computers and a plurality of storage devices are connected by a fiber channel to form a network dedicated to storage. This is called a storage area network (SAN). For example, JP-A-2000-99272 discloses a SAN technology.

[0004]

When a large amount of files or a large amount of files are downloaded via the Internet, a large amount of data such as html files and image data is constantly transferred on the Internet. File transfer takes time. Also, when transferring a large-capacity file on the Internet, the bandwidth of the Internet is squeezed, greatly affecting the transfer time of a homepage or the like, and slowing down the display of the homepage. In particular, the display of a homepage is felt as a response time, and the effect of transferring a large-capacity file is great. In addition, this will last long during the file transfer, and the effect on performance will be enormous. Conventionally, a large-capacity file has to be transferred only once, saved on a local disk, and then transferred to a nearby computer using a portable medium such as a tape or an optical disk. There is also a problem that this method cannot be used unless the computer is connected to a portable medium.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a data reference method and a system using both the Internet and a storage network, and using both networks depending on data.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there are provided a step of designating a data address and requesting reference of data via the Internet, a step of receiving an error message that cannot be interpreted as a data address, and a step of designating the data address. A method for referencing data via a network, comprising a step of requesting a reference to the data via a network between the storage device and the computer, and a step of receiving the requested data, and a system for implementing such a method.

Further, the present invention provides a data reference request
Determining whether the data address of the requested data is data accessible via the Internet, and obtaining the requested data via the Internet if the data is accessible via the Internet; If the data is inaccessible via the Internet, a method of requesting reference to the data via a network between the storage device and the computer, and a step of receiving the requested data; Features a system that implements the method.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the entire system of the embodiment. Reference numeral 101 denotes the Internet, which is a network that can communicate according to the Internet protocol, and may be a wide area network or an intranet in a company. 111 is the SAN (St
or a storage area and a computer, and is configured by a fiber channel and a fiber channel switch. The computer 104 is connected to the Internet 101, and is connected to the SA by a fiber channel interface.
Also connected to N111. The computer 107 connects to the Internet 101. The computer 107 connects the disk storage device 109 and the disk storage device 110.
The disk storage device 110 is connected to the computer 107 through an input / output interface of the computer 107,
SAN1 via Fiber Channel interface
11 is also connected. Here, it is assumed that the data transmission speed via the SAN 111 is several times or more higher than the data transmission speed via the Internet 101.

[0010] The disk storage device 109 stores files of the home page 201 and the XXX document 202. The home page 201 and the XXX document 202 are http or
It is accessed by a data address conforming to ftp.
The home page 201 and the XXX document 202 are files suitable for transfer via the Internet 101 in view of their storage capacities. The disk storage device 110 has YY
The file of the Y image 203 is stored. YYY image 203
Is accessed by a data address that cannot be interpreted by http or ftp.
1 is a file suitable for transfer via

The computer 104 stores the browser 1 in its memory.
05 and the Web server 106,
It is executed by the computer 104. The browser 105 is a client unit mounted on the client computer. The computer 107 also stores the Web server 1 in its memory.
08 is stored and executed by the computer 107. The browser 105 communicates with the computer 107 via the Internet 101 according to the TCP / IP and http protocols.
It requests the content from the eb server 108. The Web server 108 accesses contents such as the homepage 201 and the XXX document 202, and transmits the requested contents to the browser 105 via the Internet 101. The browser 105 receives the content and displays the content on the display device of the computer 104. Web server 108
Transmits an error message to the browser 105 when a content is requested with a data address that cannot be interpreted by http or ftp. Upon receiving the error message, the browser 105 requests the Web server 106 for the content. The Web server 106
The target content such as the YYY image 203 is accessed via the AN 111, and the requested content is
Hand over to 05. When the browser 105 requests the content, the browser 105 may interpret the data address, determine a Web server that can access the content, and request the content from the Web server. Browser 105
The Web server 106 and the Web server 106 may be mounted on different computers, and the two computers may be connected via a transmission path.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a home page 201 displayed on the display device of the computer 104 by the browser 105. On the home page, there are two files that the user can specify for viewing, the XXX document 202.
And the names and attributes of the YYY image 203 are displayed.
The XXX document 202 is a small capacity file with a storage capacity of 10 KB, and the YYY image 203 is a large capacity file with a storage capacity of 10 MB.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data of the homepage 201 in the html file format. Homepage 201
Is two files that can be specified by the user, XXX document 2
02 and a link to the YYY image 203 are described.
The data address of the XXX document 202 is http: //xxxx.c
o.jp/home/small_data.html, which indicates that the data address conforms to the http protocol. Also Y
The data address of YY image 203 is wwn: //xxxx.co.jp
/large_data.wwn, indicating that the address is different from the data address based on the http protocol. xxxx.co.jp
Is the address of the computer 107 as a server.

FIG. 4 shows a browser 105 after a user specifies a file through the display screen of the home page 201.
105, Web server 108, and Web server 1 of the first embodiment until the user acquires the file
It is a flowchart which shows the process of 06. When the user specifies the data address of the XXX document 202 or the YYY image 203 via the input device of the computer 104, the browser 105 transmits the data address to the computer 107 via the Internet 101, and transmits the data of the specified file. Request a reference (step 401). The Web server 108 of the computer 107 receives the request (step 402), and the address of the requested data is ht
It is determined whether the address complies with the tp protocol (step 403). If the data address can be interpreted by http (step 403 Yes), for example, XXX document 2
02 address, the Web server 108
Accesses the XXX document 202 on the disk storage device 109, acquires it, and transmits it to the browser 105 of the computer 104 via the Internet 101 (step 404). The browser 105 displays the XXX document 202 on the display device of the computer 104.

If the data address cannot be interpreted using http (step 403 No), for example, if it is the address of the YYY image 203, the Web server 108 sends an error message due to the address that cannot be interpreted to the browser 105 via the Internet 101. Is returned (step 405). The browser 105 is a web server 10
6 to request the reference of the specified file (step 406). Web server 10
6 accesses the YYY image 203 on the disk storage device 110 via the SAN 111, acquires it, and passes it to the browser 105 (step 407). Web server 1
Reference numeral 06 refers to a management table (not shown), converts the received data address into a LUN (Logical Unit Number) and a block number, accesses the YYY image 203, issues a read command for a disk storage device, and issues a YYY image 203. Is read and passed to the browser 105.
Browser 105 displays YYY on the display device of computer 104.
The image 203 is displayed.

According to the first embodiment, the SAN 111 can be used without changing the existing browser 105 and Web server 108 or by changing the browser 105 to a minimum.
The user can access the YYY image 203 via the.

FIG. 5 shows a browser 105 according to the second embodiment.
3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing of FIG. Browser 1
05 is the X designated through the input device of the computer 104.
The data address of the XX document 202 or the YYY image 203 is received (step 501), and it is determined whether the address of the requested data is an address conforming to the http protocol (step 502). If the data address can be interpreted by http (step 502 Yes), the browser 1
The server 05 requests the Web server 108 of the computer 107 to refer to the specified file via the Internet 101 (step 503), receives the specified file from the Web server 108 (step 504), and displays it.

If the data address cannot be interpreted using http (step 502 No), the browser 105 requests the Web server 106 to refer to the specified file (step 505). The Web server 106 proceeds to step 40
7, the disk storage device 1 via the SAN 111
The user accesses the YYY image 203 on the server 10, acquires it, and passes it to the browser 105. Browser 105 is a Web browser
The designated file is received from the server 106 (step 506) and displayed.

According to the second embodiment, it is necessary to change the existing browser 105, but steps 402 and 40 of the first embodiment are performed on data that cannot be interpreted by http.
5 and Internet 101 for error reply
This eliminates the need for communication via the server, and provides an effect on performance.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the Internet and the storage network are used in combination, and the two networks are selectively used depending on data. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an entire system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a homepage.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data in an html file format of the homepage of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing of the system according to the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing of a browser according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: Internet, 105: Browser, 106:
Web server, 108: Web server, 111: SA
N, 201: homepage, 202: XXX document, 20
3: YYY image

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tsunemasa Uno 5030 Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture F-term in the Software Division of Hitachi, Ltd. 5B082 AA01 HA05 JA01 5B089 GA11 GA21 GB01 HA10 HA14 JB03 KA05 KC21 KG08

Claims (5)

[Claims] A step of designating a data address and requesting a reference to data via the Internet; a step of receiving an error message indicating that the data address cannot be interpreted; Requesting a reference to the data via a network, and receiving the requested data via a network. 2. A data reference method executed by a computer after receiving an error message indicating that a data address cannot be interpreted in response to a data reference request via the Internet, wherein the data reference method is performed via a network between a storage device and the computer. Requesting a reference; and receiving the requested data. 3. A step of determining whether a data address of requested data is data accessible via the Internet in response to a data reference request; Retrieving the requested data via
Requesting a reference to the data via a network between a storage device and a computer if the data is inaccessible via the Internet; and receiving the requested data. Reference method. 4. A system comprising client means and server means, wherein said client means designates a data address and requests data reference via the Internet, and receives an error message which cannot be interpreted as a data address. Means for specifying the data address and requesting reference to the data via a network between a storage device and a computer, and means for receiving the requested data. A system that refers to data via a network that is characteristic. 5. A system having client means and server means, wherein said client means determines whether a data address of requested data is data accessible via the Internet in response to a data reference request. Means for determining, and means for acquiring data requested via the Internet if the data is accessible via the Internet, wherein the server means includes a storage device for data inaccessible via the Internet. A system for referring to data via a network, comprising: means for requesting reference of the data via a network between computers; and means for receiving the requested data.